For Friends' Review.
DAVID COOPER.
The manuscript diary of David Cooper, containing much that is valuable, lies before me. He was born in 1724, and was grandson of Wm. Cooper, who came to New Jersey, from England, in 1678. He was a person of sound and strong mind and an influential, consistent Friend. A letter written by him to one of his fellow-members of the Meeting for Sufferings, eighty-five years ago, and some remarks respecting it, which he penned for the benefit of his children, appear to me so pertinent to the present times, that I offer them for insertion in the Review.
"Woodbury, 15th of 6th month, 1777.
"Dear Friend,--I received a hint from thee, implying that I had withdrawn from service in asking a release as a member of the Meeting for Sufferings. It hath since frequently come in my mind to give thee some of my reasons, which may remove censure if thou hast thought me deserving. Few perhaps have seen more than myself the want of wise and faithful laborers, at a time when darkness appears to cover the land, and gross darkness the people, and I have greatly desired an increase of the number who might be favored with sufficient light to distinguish thing from thing, and to know when to move and when to stand still; and not, like men groping in this darkness, believe they are serving God, when they are actuated only by outward views and conclusions as men, as it appears the good king Josiah did when he opposed Pharoah in his own will,--which proved his destruction.
The exercise I have felt at times within three years, is not to be expressed, from beholding a mixture of human policy so manifest in the deliberations of that meeting; Friends declaring to the world that we are redeemed from it, and at the same time constantly meddling with it, as though we did not believe in or were not willing to trust to a superintending Providene, appearing to think ourselves and the conclusions of that meeting of abundantly greater consequence than any body else thinks them. Thou wilt perhaps say these proceedings arose from a clear sense of duty. Possibly they may,--but if free from much mixture, I am sure one so mistaken and insensible as I have been was not a suitable member.
The compass of a letter will not admit giving my reasons fully for saying policy hath mixed in our deliberations; but, it did not require much discerning to discover that our Testimony, published 1st mo., 1775, was first drawn up with a view to please at St. James' as much if not more than to be useful in America. Is this treason? It was my real sentiment at the time and ever since: witness: 'The king having been our nursing father'--and other parts which were expunged; as also expressions frequently used, then and since, urging the great care necessary not to displease these rulers over the water,--that our conduct as a Society would hereafter be narrowly inspected by them, &c. And every line of it, almost, appeared to me to be dictated from human views, instead of that unerring Spirit we profess to be guided by, which indeed sees not as man sees. A step which will, I believe, be thought illy to comport with this principle of ours, should Providence permit the establishment of the separation for which the people are now struggling, and with which I am clear we had no business to interfere or meddle; but we should have realized our profession by leaving these things wholly to Him who needs not our assistance in setting up or pulling down.
But this is digressing from my first view of giving reasons for my release as above, and I may say, these meetings occasioned deep sufferings to me; sometimes from a humbling fear lest I was exceedingly in the dark, in that the feelings of my mind were so different from some of